Advanced Romantic Comedy Avoidance
by JimberlyShipper
Summary: Jeff and Britta want to be together, but can they work it up enough to do so? Mentions of Troy/Abed, one sided.


_**Disclaimer: The characters of Community do not belong to me. I was bored waiting for Community to start back up. Also, I am not excited about Jeff/Annie and Troy/Britta. Gross. So I wrote this Jeff/Britta fic to make myself feel better. This is set during the summer they are retaking biology. XD. Hope you like! **_

Advanced Romantic Comedy Avoidance

By Julia

Jeff Winger was working on getting his real degree. That had not changed. What _had_ were his feelings for Britta Perry. He missed the days when they'd been fooling around. She had been busy flirting or whatever with Troy and Jeff didn't like it. That had to end. Jeff wasn't sure he was ready for such a public display of feelings like that, but he was sure that if he didn't try he'd regret it. Jeff had to have Britta. She was so much like him. Jeff didn't know if he was supposed to end up with her, since he didn't believe in marriage. But Britta made him believe in love. As corny as that sounded. Jeff knew it was lame. He knew it. Jeff wanted Britta almost more than he wanted to be a lawyer again. That was really saying something because Jeff really wanted his old life back. He headed to the cafeteria, it was lunchtime. Jeff could not believe he had lost his summer. The whole Greendale seven thing had been nuts, but Jeff had been pretty pissed. Plus, Chang was insane. Literally. They should _all_ be worrying that he'd kill them in their sleep. Jeff had actually had that dream a few times when Chang had been staying with him. Thank God nothing had come of it.

The study group was all sitting down at a table. The construction was going on for Shirley and Pierce's sandwich business. Jeff was watching Britta. She was digging into her salad. Jeff had something similarly calorie free on his plate. He had a salad and a grilled cheese. Jeff had always denied himself. He wanted to stay thin. Britta didn't care about things like that, she had always told him that she didn't care if he wanted to give up his early morning runs and eat a donut. Jeff had only listened once. He liked that she seemed to accept him for who he was. Not many people had ever done that. Jeff just dropped into a chair, everyone was talking about something stupid. Jeff supposed for once he better pay real attention, to find out what was up with Britta. Jeff wanted to make sure that Britta was done with whatever she was doing with Troy. Abed seemed to have the same goal, Jeff noticed. He really hoped Abed wasn't into Britta too, that wouldn't be fun at all. It would figure the first time he was into a woman and it was Britta.

Abed had gotten some pizza and some fries. He watched Jeff looking at Britta. He also was upset with whatever it was his friends were doing. Abed scooted closer to Jeff's chair. "You still into Britta?" He asked him, his voice low. Abed was a human observer. He had always been on the outside, looking in. It's why he was almost never wrong about anything. Abed felt most at home with Troy. They had always gotten along greatly. He didn't know if he felt safe enough to speak up about his feelings for Troy. He thought he and Jeff could commiserate about the way they felt. Abed took a fry to eat it. Things felt odd, being here during the summer. Troy had been spending a lot of time studying for the repair school. Abed waited for Jeff to reply, hoping that the other man would be honest.

When Abed asked him about Britta, Jeff debated what to say. He wasn't sure if he should tell the truth or not. Jeff had built his life on lies and not caring. Greendale had turned all of that completely on its head. He trusted Abed, he knew the other man would keep his confidence if he chose to share. "Is it that obvious?" He asked, forking up some salad. He hoped it wasn't. Jeff lived his whole life guarded. He didn't want to let others in. It was easier, kept himself from getting hurt. Jeff had been hurt enough in his life. He didn't know why his father had took off on them, but the lawyer involved in his father's side had had the best part of the deal. He wondered what it said about him that he still felt the same way. "It's not like it matters, she seems to be into Troy." He told Abed, holding back the sigh that was trying to come out.

To Jeff's surprise, Abed actually made a face as he turned his head in his Abed way. "Yes, she does, doesn't she?" He said. He grabbed up another fry. He didn't want to think about Troy and Britta doing anything together. The thought was very upsetting. Abed looked at Jeff. "Is there any way I can trust you with some information?" Abed said, deciding he was going to tell Jeff about his feelings for Troy. He still wasn't sure when his feelings for his best friend had turned romantic. He had just woken up one morning and there had been stirrings. Abed didn't really think about the ramifications of this, like whether that meant he was gay or whatnot. Abed was just in love with Troy. He thought maybe it was like Willow and Tara on _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_. He could come up with a tv reference for just about anything. It was how he was able to cope with people, to try and connect with the human condition. It was serving him so far. Even if people thought he was weird. Abed didn't really care about that so much. It was just par for the course when you were him. When Jeff nodded at him, and gave him an earnest look, Abed said, "I'm in love with Troy."

Of all the things Jeff had thought would come out of Abed's mouth, that was not one of them. He didn't care about who was gay and whatnot. He was agnostic. Jeff saw the appeal of things, and he would never tell anyone how to live their life. Jeff didn't care. However, he gave Abed a serious look, hardly daring to believe that none of his friends were listening to this. Jeff let out a breath and looked at Abed. "Um, wow, Abed." Jeff said, looking at him. "I'm sorry that you've had to hold that in." He said, as Abed kept looking at him in his Abed way. Jeff didn't even pretend to imagine what Abed was feeling. That had to be confusing, especially for a guy like Abed. That was a big thing to most people, and Abed was far from normal. Jeff didn't know how Abed was going to deal with this. "I'm sorry, Abed. I wish I had something supportive to say about it all."

Abed nodded. He didn't blame Jeff for not knowing what to say. Something like that was hard for some people. Abed wasn't really sure how to voice his feelings. It was not a surprise to him that he had chosen Jeff to talk to about this. Because of his being agnostic, it could be argued that he was the most accepting of the study group. Abed was glad that he'd chosen Jeff. He didn't really know what to say other than he just loved Troy. "I may have to keep quiet about mine, but you should say something to Britta. You should tell her how you feel. Life is too short to live without the one you want to be with." Abed said, looking at Jeff. He really hoped that Jeff listened and said something to Britta. "Besides, if you get her back, I might be able to speak up to Troy." He thought that that might be a good compromise. Abed ate another fry. He looked at Jeff. "Do you have a plan about what you want to say?" He asked.

Taking a bite out of his sandwich, Jeff wasn't sure what to say. His whole stomach was in knots. He didn't really know if he was brave enough to speak up. Jeff didn't know what Britta would say. He was sure it would be something about how he wasn't good enough. He had been told that the entire time his dad had been around, and he had spent the rest of his life trying to avoid being told that again. Jeff didn't think he could handle Britta saying no. "Abed, I want to, I want to tell her that I love her but what if she says no? I can't take rejection from her." Jeff said. He really couldn't imagine what would happen. "Abed, I haven't wanted anything as much as I want Britta. Not even my old job as a lawyer. And you know how badly I want that life back. I have no idea how Greendale did this to me."

Abed finished his fries while he listened to his friend talk. He wasn't surprised by what Jeff said. Not really. Greendale had affected all of them in some way. He tilted his head as he worked on a reply. They had been through so much as a study group. They really were a family. He finished his pizza as he thought. Jeff waited patiently. Abed finally chose the words he wanted to say. "Jeff, we have been through a lot. If you don't say anything, you might regret it. You don't want to go through life with regrets. If you don't tell Britta how you feel, it could be something you look back on in 30 years and wish you had done it differently. If we go through life without ever taking chances, are we really living? We have to try for the things we want, or we'll forever regret our lives." It all sounded pretty cheesy, but Abed meant every word he said. He hadn't even been doing a character. He had been serious. "I don't know much about life, I can't ever figure out how to connect with people unless it's movies or tv. I do know that I wish I had said something to Troy. I suppose all is not lost, I could say something now, but I could have spoken up from the moment I realized I loved him. Say something to Britta."

Jeff listened to all that his friend had to say. He nodded. "Yes. I know you're right." He said. He looked at Britta. "Britta, can I talk to you?" He asked, surprising her. "Um, sure." She finally said. Jeff stood up, and they walked to a more private, less noisy zone of the caf. He ran his hands through his messy shock of hair that he worked hard to make sure it looked like he'd woken up with it that way. Jeff didn't know what she thought he was about to say. He let out a breath. "Britta… I don't know why I have never spoken up…. I should have." He couldn't believe he was about to be as corny as a romantic comedy. They weren't his cup of tea, so he wasn't sure exactly how to avoid sounding cheesy like that. Jeff didn't want to say the wrong thing and risk losing her as a friend. He had been a lawyer, so he was used to giving speeches, but he wasn't sure what words to use. "I… Britta, I know that we have done this before, and we decided to stop." Jeff didn't know how he was doing this. How he was able to string words together. "I..… I know we did this before. I want to have it again. But better. I want us to be serious."

That surprised Britta. She had sort of been flirting with Troy. Her heart wasn't really in it. Jeff was amazing. She had loved him almost since she'd first seen him. When he'd started the study group to get in her pants, Britta had of course been offended, but she'd also been secretly pleased. Britta had a good feminazi personality, but under that she was just like any other woman. Britta had been flattered. She had had to make him wait so he wouldn't think she was cheap. The time they had spent fooling around had been the best times of her life. Britta had gotten scared that it was turning too serious. They'd had clothes at each other's houses. That had been a little too relationshippy for her. Britta ran through excuses in her head. She just wasn't sure what to say. Her heart wanted her to say yes. Jeff looked so pitiful, just standing there. Britta couldn't decide what to say. "Jeff… I…" She started. She ran her hand through her blonde curls. "I… we had a great time, but… what if something happens? We could lose our friendship." She said slowly. Britta couldn't handle it if she lost Jeff as a friend. It would be awful.

Taking one of her hands in his, Jeff took a deep breath. "I know that we're both bad at this, but we have to learn how to do it. Or we're going to be miserable forever. You already have a cat…. You're close to being a cat lady." He couldn't help but smirk a little. They snarked with each other too much. It was just too easy. He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. "I know that this is very cheesy. I know that. But that aside, we shouldn't be apart. If we don't grab the bull by the horns, we'll only have lived half a life." Jeff was really getting going now. He let out a sigh and looked at her. "Britta, we're both awful at the relationship thing. We both know that. If anything that I may have done with Annie made you jealous…. I'm sorry. I don't think of her that way. Britta, we've almost gotten married _twice_. If that doesn't prove to you that we're meant to be, I don't know what will." A small part of Jeff was upset that they hadn't gotten hitched. And it wasn't just because of their constant competition.

It was all so _normal_. Britta didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure if she was ready for this. Jeff was the one thing she hadn't let herself have. She hadn't let herself want him. She had been afraid. Britta looked at Jeff, her brown eyes widening. It was still so normal. She and Jeff were anything but normal. Letting out a breath, she kept her eyes on him. Britta didn't think she was strong enough to say yes. Her heart wanted to. She didn't know how to say the words. She couldn't think straight. Jeff was gorgeous and he smelled amazing. She sighed, as she thought about his words. It was true that they'd almost married. "I'm sorry, Jeff… I can't." Britta said, shaking her head. She dropped his hand, and it felt like a gunshot had sounded. It felt so very final. A tear fell down her cheek. Britta was sure she had just done the wrong thing. She should have said yes. Britta just hoped she hadn't ruined their friendship.

Jeff swallowed hard as he watched Britta walk away. It was useless to expect that she would be back. He was defeated. Jeff hated when he felt that way. He had felt that way a lot since he had come to Greendale. He didn't know what to do now. He went back to the table to get his things. The last thing on his mind was class. Jeff looked at Abed, giving him a look. Abed shrugged as he tilted his head in answer. He headed out of the cafeteria. He would completely regret not going to class because he needed the credit. Jeff just couldn't be around Britta right now. Jeff just couldn't. Jeff sighed and stalked off to his car. No one in in the group saw him for three weeks.

One Saturday morning, Pierce, Annie, Troy, Shirley, and Abed went to Jeff's apartment. He was lying on his couch, barely clean and watching _Cheers_ on tv. Shirley was the most upset to see him that way, she thought Jeff and Britta were supposed to be together. It just felt right. She looked at Jeff as he lay on the couch. "Jeff, we haven't seen you at school in three weeks! You didn't respond to my fourth of July party invitation." He glanced around the apartment. It was so dirty.

Jeff grunted. He was not surprised to see them. It was also not a surprise that Britta wasn't there. She hadn't called or talked or texted to him for awhile. Not since that day in the cafeteria. Jeff missed her a lot. "I'm sorry, Shirley. I've been a little busy." He said, his eyes not going to them as he lay on the couch without moving. He didn't care what they were here to say. Jeff just wanted to stay here in his pjs. He didn't care about anything right now. All he cared about was Britta and she wasn't here. Jeff groaned. "Why are you guys here?" He asked, reaching for the beer he had sitting on the table.

Annie made a face. "Jeff, you can't just skip school because you're upset about Britta." She said. Annie had to admit, she wasn't happy about Jeff and Britta. But she was trying to be behind it, because if she didn't support Jeff, then she didn't really love him. Annie wasn't sure she could live with herself if she didn't support her friends. It was something she prided herself on. Plus, Jeff really _was_ too old for her. She should find someone her own age. "You're never going to be a lawyer at that rate."

Whether that was true or not was not the issue. Jeff didn't care right now. All he cared about was Britta. That's why they had to be together. Jeff knew he was being lame right now. He knew that. That was also not the issue. All he wanted was Britta. None of the rest of it was important. "Annie, I could care less about school and biology class right now." Jeff said, rolling over on his stomach. He just wanted them to leave and leave him alone.

Abed stood back, watching with a curious look on his face. He still hadn't said anything to Troy yet, and he wished he had worked up the courage. He was proud of Jeff though. Jeff had done what he himself could not. Abed wished he had been able to tell Troy that he loved him in a nonplatonic way. He tilted his head in his Abed way. He said. "Jeff, this is possibly the darkest timeline… you have to come back to class." Abed didn't know what else to say. Jeff seemed to be beyond help. They may have lost him.

They were all surprised when they heard Britta's voice in the doorway. "Jeff… can we talk?" She asked. Everyone looked at her in surprise. Britta hadn't known that they would be here. Things with her and the group had been weird since she had said no to Jeff. She had missed them. Britta hadn't been missing class, but she hadn't been with them in the library. She'd been spending a lot of time at home with her cat. Britta could only look back at them with regret on her face. She felt bad for hurting Jeff. Britta loved him despite what she had said. She didn't know what else to say while everyone was staring.

Jeff looked up at them. Then he looked at Britta. "Why are you here, Britta?" He asked. All he'd been thinking about was when he and Britta had almost gotten married. In a way, he was glad. However, it would have been amazing. Jeff didn't want to talk to her unless she was there to talk about them getting together for real. Jeff couldn't see her otherwise without pain in his stomach.

Britta took a deep breath. "I'm here to talk about us. Which I'd rather do when everyone's not here." Britta said, her heart pounding as she looked at them, then focused on Jeff. She wanted him all to herself. No one in the group moved until Jeff nodded at them. Jeff looked at her. Britta took a deep breath. "Jeff…. I should have said yes when you told me that you wanted to be with me." She said. "I was never into Troy. Not really… it's always been you." That took a lot for her to admit, and she hoped that Jeff would take that into account. She didn't deserve him, though, not after what she had done.

Jeff looked at her. He wasn't sure what to say. She had had her chance. But Jeff didn't think he could say no. Greendale had really made him soft. It was completely lame. He looked at her. "Britta… I…" He didn't want to give in too easily. He didn't want Britta to think she had all the power in the relationship. That wasn't good. Mainly because Jeff never wanted anyone to have power but him.

"Jeff, I'm sorry I said no, okay? I really am. I should have said yes. I…. I love you, okay?" Britta told him. He sat up on the couch, and she joined him. She kept her hands in her lap, but she wanted to hold his hand. "I didn't know what to do. I was afraid of what would happen if we broke up. Abed said once that we were keeping the group from being friends. I didn't want that." She didn't shy away from him. She kept her gaze on him. "Don't make this a stupid pride thing, Jeff. Let's just be together and work this out."

Jeff looked at her. She was right. He shouldn't make this a pride thing. Jeff should just be with her. "I should take a shower before we do anything." He hedged. Jeff was glad that Britta was here, telling him she wanted to be with him. He leaned out to kiss her. "Or you could shower with me…. It saves water." He said, grinning mischievously. She gave him a grin back, and they hurried off to the shower. They had made the right decision, they were sure of it.

_**Author's note: Hope you liked! Jeff/Britta is one of my OTPs. They are so perfect for each other!**_


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